It seems like we’ve had more than our share of snow this winter. When that happens, many of us turn to baking. My current passion is focaccia, that simple Italian bread that seems to go with just about everything.

Focaccia is a satisfying, crunchy flatbread with a dimpled surface that makes the perfect platform for everything from olive oil to flavorful cheeses, fresh herbs and vegetables. Once baked, it’s perfect for sandwiches, with a glass of wine or as a quick snack.

It’s also a great way to involve your kids in an edible art project, using the just-risen flatbread as a canvas for flowers or scenes made from veggies and herbs. We did this recently in a class I taught at our local community college. We used colorful bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, black olives, red onions, fresh basil and flat leaf parsley, green onions, radishes, asparagus and long strands of chives to make our edible flowers and picture scenes. The more creative, the better. The more vegetables, the better.

And yes, you can use whole-wheat flour to make your focaccia even healthier — just include a cup in the total bread flour tally. The rest of the simple ingredients are water, yeast, salt and oil.

Focaccia starts with a versatile and simple dough that’s easier to make than most bread dough. All you need is a mixer with a dough hook and a cookie sheet. Once the dough is mixed and has risen, you press it out to the edges of the oiled pan, then “dimple” with your fingertips, add toppings and bake.

Originally developed in Italy, focaccia was shaped into small discs made to fit into the palm of the hand, baked as a simple treat for children or hungry bystanders. And instead of savory, you can make it sweet just by sprinkling with sugar and cinnamon.

Focaccia is distinctive to various areas of Italy. The area of Puglia is known for a thicker focaccia due to the addition of mashed potatoes in the dough, plus a topping of sweet red peppers; Lunigiana (in southern Italy) prefers to offer a combination of Gorgonzola, red onion and walnuts.

But don’t be intimidated. Focaccia in its simplest form — sprinkled with olive oil, Parmesan, and fresh rosemary or basil — can be just as satisfying.

Simple Focaccia

Bread
5 cups bread flour
1¾ cups water
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup olive oil
Additional salt and oil

Assorted toppings
Yellow bell peppers
Cherry tomatoes
Capers
Black olives
Red onions
Parsley, flat leaf
Sweet peppers
Green onions
Shallots
Radishes
Asparagus
Assorted herbs — basil, chives, rosemary
Assorted seeds or nuts — sesame, pumpkin, pine nuts

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, which takes five to 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, ½ cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for five to six minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. (Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is sticky and tacky.)

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface; then knead it by hand one or two times. Again, give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is sticky and tacky.

Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least one hour.

Coat a half sheet pan with ½ cup olive oil. Put the dough onto the pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. Return the dough to the warm place for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Poke fingers all over the top of the dough all the way to bottom of pan. Arrange prepared veggies and herbs and lightly press to dough. Brush dough and vegetables with olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Sweet Focaccia Recipe

(Adapted from Flat Bread by Alice Francis)

Bread
2½ cups water
1 package yeast
¼ cup olive oil
1 egg
5 cups flour
¾ cup sugar
Pinch salt
½ cup raisins (dark, gold or mixture)

Topping
Sugar and cinnamon as desired
Optional: halved seedless purple grapes
Optional: drizzles of fruity light olive oil

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; add 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit for five to 10 minutes. Add oil and egg. Add rest of sugar and dry ingredients, and mix well into a soft, kneadable dough, either by hand or using an electric mixer.

Take out of bowl and knead by hand, adding the raisins. When smooth and elastic, put into a greased bowl and let rise, covered in a warm place.

Punch down lightly and press out or rollout to fit a greased jellyroll-size baking pan. Press fingers into dough lightly to form dimples. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. Serves 10.

Fargo Ware is a registered dietitian with Southern Illinois University Medical School in Springfield, Ill. Send recipe ideas to her at [email protected]. The opinions of this writer are not necessarily those of Farm Progress/Informa.